Sailor Stars Neo!
by Nagareboshi He
Summary: Seiya's returned to Earth just barely ahead of a sudden new threat! The new darkness in the galaxy is aimed straight at the heart of the Senshi! And with Michiru missing the Senshi are hardly at full strength...


8/21/02  
  
***Disclaimer: We don't own Sailor Moon, or any characters herein, except the henchpeople and monsters of the day. Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi-sensei, Toei, Cloverway, et al. The plot was created by the co-authors Kyo-chan and Dragon.  
  
***Note: This fic follows the Japanese version of the television series (Haruka and Michiru were lovers, and the Starlights are male in their normal forms.) The story begins after Galaxia's defeat and the return of the star seeds to their hosts.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I knew as soon as I rematerialized before my Princess that She was gone. There was a hole in my soul that She had filled. We waited and waited... All of the Senshi materialized, were reborn from their Star Seeds, but not Her. Even when my Princess was smiling up at me, telling me that any moment the one who held my heart would appear I knew it was a lie. Gone. She was gone. I waited until I was home, until I could curl up in my empty bed, a bed that even SMELLED like Her, and only then did I cry for my lost Michiru...  
  
~*~ Sera Sutaasu Neo! ~*~  
(*(Sailor Stars Neo!)*)  
  
Haruka stood out on the balcony, letting the rain hit her face. The servants had knocked on her door twice to tell her that dinner was ready, but she still hadn't answered. Her thoughts were with the ocean below... Michiru's eyes... The blonde shook her head and lay it on her folded arms. Three months....three months and sixteen days...empty. The loss of her lover had shaken everyone, but no one felt the soul-deep ache that Haruka did. Since that first night, she hadn't cried, but she had screamed and kicked and raced and dreamed. Empty nights where the only thing that could fill her mind were ghost-images of Michiru. The servants watched her constantly, as if knowing how badly she wanted to pick up a knife or blow her head off. But she knew that killing herself would shake the already unsteady foundation of Senshi, and Michiru would have never respected her for it. So she lived on, knowing that her soul was wounded, bleeding, but still dragging herself through. The races were more frequent now as she searched for anything that would fill the void. The halls were often filled with dark piano music in the middle of the night...lilting... Haruka lifted her head enough to slip her fingers into her golden hair. She squeezed her eyes shut.  
And screamed.  
  
***  
  
Haruka's throat hurt...she didn't know how long she'd been curled up on the balcony, but she was cold and wet when she finally came back to her senses. Grunting a curse, she pushed herself back up to her feet. Her head pounded, and she wondered if a couple of nice, strong sleeping pills would get rid of it and her insomnia. It was almost dawn, but time didn't really matter these days. There wasn't a race today, so it made no difference how long she slept. A shower first...to get rid of the chill....then it would be bedtime. Mind made up, she began to head back inside. Began to. A piercing shriek cut through the night, then, freezing the blonde in her tracks. The scream was of a pitch Haruka knew by heart, the scream of people anywhere being accosted by evil monsters.  
  
Haruka rubbed her temples and sighed. This was not going to be her day. Pinpointing the direction of the screams, she followed them to investigate.  
  
Around the corner, not three blocks away, shoved up against a flashy red sports car, a girl was trying to pull away from a-- well, it couldn't rightly be called a woman. It was shaped like a curvaceous woman, but the proportions were all wrong... It held the girl up by her neck, vines extending from its fingers, wrapped around her body, holding her helpless.   
  
Haruka hadn't transformed since Galaxia, and it felt strange to feel the power of her avatar flood her senses. Nonetheless, now changed, she ran to the rescue, aiming a well-placed World Shaking and knocking the monster away from the girl.  
  
"Run!" she told her, then turned to face the creature that was already getting back to its feet.  
  
The monster cackled a high-pitched laugh, a laugh that must have been designed to grate on nerves-- like the screech of brakes on train tracks, fingernails scraping down a blackboard. It threw out those vines again, like whips, silvery black in the moonlight, intent on capturing the Senshi that had stopped it from getting its prey.  
  
StarFighter stopped, tossing her head back, shoving a handful of silken midnight hair from her eyes. She'd volunteered for this, she reminded herself, as she stumbled on her first step back in Earth's gravity. How long had it been since...? Three months. Three months since Galaxia had been defeated and Seiya could go home with her best friend, and her awe-inspiring princess. And here she was back again. Another shadow was growing in the darkness of the Universe. And Seiya had volunteered to return to Earth to request help from the one group she knew would understand the need. Of course, she was still half-expecting the Outer Senshi to appear and try and kill her for returning. After all, they'd never bothered to leave on a friendly basis. In fact, none of the Outer Senshi had shown up when Usagi and her friends had said goodbye to the Starlights and their mistress. Seiya too had heard the scream, though she from farther away. Luckily still in her uniform, the starlight dashed towards the sound of the voice, praying that she wouldn't be too late. She'd seen too many people falling prey to evil in her life...  
  
Haruka had done admirably well at dodging most of the vines, but she was tired and not clear-headed enough to miss the one that clasped her ankle and roughly dragged her down. She made a sound of pain as she crashed hard to the pavement, but didn't have much time to process it as she was dragged closer to the creature. She struggled, but more of the vines were there, closing in on her tightly. They wrapped her more tightly. more secure then they had the other woman, this monster at least able to tell that Uranus was stronger then its previous prey. That laugh again. It rattled Haruka's bones, chilling.  
  
Seiya ran along the top of a wall, watching for the-- there it was. Ugly thing. And it *had* already caught someone. Fighter skidded to a halt, jumping to the top of the nearby sports cars, and snapping to get the thing's attention. "I am the sacred wandering shooting star! Sailor StarFighter. Stage On!"  
  
Spots were already dancing across Uranus's vision. She heard the voice, but it didn't register...she was still concentrating what she had left in trying to get away.   
  
The vines slacked off for a moment as the monster tried to process the second interference. It hissed at Fighter, a warning, and began to slowly constrict its vines around Haruka, sucking up her energy slowly but surely. Fighter blinked, not used to monsters that simply ignored her presence. So she decided to make it a little more plain. "Star Serious LASER!" she yelled, hopping off the car and aiming the blast at the thing's vine-fingers. Neatly severing them. Let's see the bitch ignore me now.  
  
Haruka was left lying there, trying to push herself up. What energy she'd had when she arrived mostly belonged to the creature now. Had one of the other Senshi found her? It made her angry at herself that she hadn't been able to take care of herself. Her vision went black and she fell down to her hands and knees again, muttering a hot curse.  
  
With an angry, incoherent sound, the monster turned to Fighter, sending more vines. "Don't you have anything else," Seiya taunted almost cheerfully, avoiding them with a deft flip, and sending another blast of laser straight through the monster's midsection. She felt a pang of guilt. if Usagi was here, she could have saved it, if it had ever been human. But nothing to be done, it was too much of a menace to leave alive. It was dead before she landed neatly on the road beside Haruka. "Are you alright, miss?" Seiya leaned down, holding out her hand to help up the... SENSHI!? "What the--? URANUS?!"  
  
That voice...where...did she know it from...? Haruka tried to clear her spinning head, reaching out to the offered gloved hand. Black leather... She got unsteadily to her feet, meeting ebon framed blue eyes. Then it hit her. "F-Fighter...!" Letting go of her hand that quickly proved a bad idea when she fell back to the ground. She cursed again.  
  
Despite their... shaky relationship, Fighter felt bad about just *leaving* her there (not mention her mission would be severely handicapped...). "Here." She pulled Uranus to her feet, wrapping her arm around the blonde's waist.  
  
"Let go of me," Haruka protested weekly, keeping her head bowed to hide the look of shame on her face. "I don't want your help..."  
  
"You're never going to get home in this shape," Seiya protested, bracing Haruka against her hip."That thing drained you dry. How it managed to catch you..." Seiya trailed off with a shrug, "is none of my business, but odango would get mad if I didn't help you out."  
  
Haruka opened her mouth to say something but just shook her head. She let Fighter help her, not really caring where they went as long as she could safely collapse when they got there.  
  
"If you don't tell me where you live," Fighter growled, a little chagrined, "I can't help you home." She was surprised Neptune was nowhere in sight. Three months ago they had been inseparable, up to and including dying together in front of Galaxia...  
  
"Three blocks...the manor on the ocean..." Haruka said quietly.  
  
StarFighter nodded silently, and scooped Uranus up in her arms. "I can move faster like this," she said simply, by way of an explanation.  
  
"Whatever..." Uranus murmured, letting herself go limp in the Starlight's arms. She was so tired...  
  
Hitching up the Solar system Senshi in her arms, Fighter couldn't help but stop and watch as the blonde detransformed. Tenoh Haruka. Well, she *was* odango's friend...  
  
She followed the (rather vague) directions Uranus had given and found herself in front of a large old manor. The name on the gate was Kaioh Michiru. "Sou da na..." She hopped the fence with the ease of practice. "Now where might your room be…?"  
  
"Third floor..." Haruka said, barely conscious. "Second...on the right..."  
  
"Oh." Seiya was surprised she was still conscious, even if just barely. The Starlight braced Haruka against her torso again, counting windows. Third floor. The second window was open. Well... Even if it was the wrong room, it would be a good enough place to start. Hopping from balcony to balcony, fighter slipped into the room. It certainly looked like a room the racer would be comfortable in...  
  
It was simply decorated in dark wood and blue velvet that was accented with gold. All across the bureau top were pictures of Haruka and Michiru, both separate and together. Some were even stuck into the border of the large mirror, framing the glass. Across the room was a rather large bookshelf, but only the bottom two rows held books. The rest of the shelves were filled with racing trophies and concert certificates.  
  
Seiya couldn't help an amused smile. Yep. Definitely, Haruka's room. Though, it seemed like Michiru should be there too. Maybe she was out of town. Fighter lay Haruka down on the large bed carefully, tugging the covers up and around the exhausted senshi.  
  
"I suppose... I owe you a thank you..." Haruka mumbled, her blue eyes opening only a slit to look up at the leather-clad Starlight.  
  
"Leave it. You need to sleep this off," Seiya offered with a sigh. In a blink of the eye she was a he again. The familiar form of Kou Seiya, idol singer and all around popular guy.  
  
"Yeah..." she agreed, her eyes fluttering closed again.   
  
Not long after Haruka had fallen asleep, the door was opened by one of the younger maids. "Miss Haru--oh...I'm sorry. I didn't know she had guests..." The pale brown eyes looked Seiya up and down, blinking. "Seiya Kou-sama...?"   
  
Seiya twitched, grimacing. Please-oh-please don't let this get out... "She asked me to come over and help her with... with... a song!" He summoned his most charming grin. "Please don't tell anyone. It's supposed to be a secret. We've been up all night working on it."  
  
The maid's eyes lit up. "Hontou?! Sugoi! Will she make a piece for Yaten-sama to play?!"  
  
"Eh... Well, I don't think so. Yaten's been a bit... reticent about doing anything in public lately. He and Taiki are liking their new privacy." He smiled again, hoping she'd believe him. "Now, we should probably quiet down. Tenoh-san's not gotten much sleep tonight..."  
  
The maid's cheerful expression faded a bit. "I know. She sleeps so little these days...unless it's the night before a race."  
  
"So let's give some peace to sleep now, eh?" Seiya shooed the maid from the room and closed the door firmly. "You," he muttered at the woman sleeping restively on the other side of the door, "are way too much trouble."  
  
"Would you like me to prepare a room for you, Seiya-sama?" the maid asked, looking up at him.  
  
"Iya. I'm fine. I want to go over that song again. If Tenoh-san wants, I'm sure I can stay a few days, but I'd rather wait until she is awake to ask her. Now, please don't let this little... visit get out. You know how people gossip." He leaned over, pressing one slim finger to her lips. Of course, he had no intentions of staying any longer then necessary...  
  
She smiled behind his finger. "Of course! I'll keep the secret." She bowed pleasantly.   
  
He nodded and slipped back into the room, leaning against the door with a sigh. Fangirls. One thing he *DIDN'T* miss at home.  
  
Fortunately, Haruka had managed to sleep through the entire exchange. Fortunately, or Seiya would have gotten his ass beaten. The former singer curled up in an available chair, closing his own eyes. It couldn't hurt to put off finding odango for a few hours, could it...? He was so tired from his travel across the galaxy.  
  
By the time he woke next, it was midafternoon. A tray of sandwiches and tea was left unobtrusively at the door. Haruka was still asleep, but tossing and murmuring incoherently.  
  
Seiya rubbed his hand across his eyes, looking blearily around the room. Where was he? Why did his neck hurt? Wait-- Why was he a *he* again?! Oh... Right. He was on Earth, in Tenoh Haruka's bedroom, curled up in a chair. Slipping to his feet, Seiya went to retrieve the sandwiches. The girl from earlier had obviously done the tray, as there were two cups, and two sandwiches.  
  
Haruka still writhed under her covers, her voice sounding... pained? as she continued to speak softly to whatever dream she was having.  
  
The quiet, desperate whispers caught Seiya's attention and he left the tray on Haruka's dresser, hurriedly moving over to the bed. Seiya knelt beside the Outer senshi, pressing a hand to her forehead to test for a temperature.  
  
There was none, but her face was wet. For all that the proud blonde could say that she never remembered crying after the first night alone, she never remembered the tears that came in her sleep.  
  
*That* Seiya had not expected. What could make the cold-hearted senshi break down like that? But it tugged something inside of him and he sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her hair and humming Nagareboshi He, projecting calm and serenity with all of his ability.  
  
After several long minutes, the soothing had calmed Haruka and she settled against her pillow, looking small and vulnerable in the large bed. It took some getting used to, for the woman could usually make even the largest room seem half-filled by her presence.  
"Michi..." she murmured.  
  
Michiru? It made sense. The only one who could control this overwhelmingly powerful senshi was the woman she had so obviously given her heart to. And the only person who could destroy Uranus-- no, Haruka so easily.  
  
But it was heart-breaking to see the blonde like this... Seiya only just managed to stop himself from scooping her up in his arms.  
  
Anguished sapphire blue eyes fluttered open, Haruka giving a groan of discomfort.  
  
"Ssshhh," Seiya murmured, "that monster really took it out of you. You've been asleep for hours."  
  
Haruka started. Who was...? She glanced up at him. Seiya Kou?! For a moment, she felt a rush of anger at seeing the man here in her own room, but then remembered what he was talking about. She let out a heavy breath and settled. "I'm fine."  
  
"You should eat something," the offworld senshi said finally, hopping off the bed. Turn away to hide the blush. He'd been far too close to doing something... something Haruka wouldn't have appreciated. "You need to regain your strength." He grabbed the tray and returned to the bed, holding it between them like a shield.  
  
Haruka closed her eyes for a moment, as if gathering her nerve, then moved to sit up, leaning back against the pillows. "And I suppose I should gain my strength because that thing that attacked last night is involved with you being back on Earth."  
  
"So I assume, yeah." Seiya ducked his head with a deep sigh. "I wish I didn't have to take up the odango's offer to visit because of this."  
  
"Believe me, I could have done without the tentacle energy drain myself," Haruka muttered, reaching for one of the sandwiches.  
  
"I think you should be glad they *weren't* tentacles..." Seiya grinned impishly. Pervert.   
  
"Pervert," Haruka accused in an echo of the man's thoughts.  
  
"So Yaten always says. Personally, I think I'm just the very *model* of propriety!" He tossed his long hair dramatically. It was that charisma that got Michiru to flirt with him, that attracted all of his fans. And it was all focused on Haruka...  
  
It only got a raised eyebrow from the tired blonde. "And you're modest too, I see."  
  
"The most humble," he laughed. The 'Light leaned over, pouring a cup of tea for each of them. "How do you take your tea?" Man, he *could* be polite when he wanted! When they weren't at odds...  
  
"Straight. Unlike my women." The joke was out of her mouth before she could stop it, and she wanted to smack her forehead for doing it. But her face stayed neutral.  
  
Seiya's shoulders began to shake and he handed Haruka the tea before doubling over in laughter. "So you *do* have a sense of humor! I was beginning to think Michiru-san had all the humor for the both of you!"  
  
"I'm not entirely stone," Haruka said, gliding over the comment.  
  
"News to me," Seiya prodded at her cheerfully. He was feeling a little better after the night's sleep, but he'd feel better once he knew what was coming and how to stop it.  
  
"Shut up and drink your tea, baka."  
  
Seiya chuckled, but spooned sugar into his tea and finished his breakfast (lunch?) in silence.  
  
Haruka didn't feel much like talking either. Nor like eating, but she supposed the arrogant bastard did have a point. Strength would be necessary, especially if there really was a new threat.  
  
When Seiya had finished his tea he stood and stretched, massaging the kinks out of his neck. "I should go find odango. Think they'll still be at school at this time of day?"  
  
Haruka glanced at the clock. "Just leaving. How much do you know about what's out there?"  
  
"Not enough to tell you exactly what's coming. All I know is that there's a darkness growing, and it's nearly of Galaxia's magnitude."  
  
"Wonderful." Haruka put down her cup and pushed back the covers. Her clothes were still damp from the night before. "Can you wait long enough for me to get cleaned up? I want to go with you."  
  
"Do you think you've got enough energy to spare? You must have been exhausted *before* the monster caught you." To be in *this* bad a shape afterwards, he added silently. Seiya remembered Uranus as always ready to move. A few moments of energy drainage shouldn't have done what it had to her. So, he was understandably worried.  
  
"Whether I've got energy isn't the point," she said stubbornly as she got up. She braced herself on the bedside table a moment, then straightened. "I'm not just going to lay here while you go tell Usagi-chan what's going on. I'm a part of them too."  
  
"Stubborn bitch," Seiya grumbled good-naturedly, but he cleaned up the tray, moving it back to the drawer. "Fine."  
  
"Flaky prick," she countered, pulling clean clothes from the dresser. She headed towards the adjoining bathroom.  
  
Seiya flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Something was definitely off about Uranus. And whatever it was, Seiya felt... a little odd around Haruka because of it. She seemed so much more fragile then he'd ever seen her. So he made a note to ask one of the younger girls about it.  
  
He could hear the shower start up and it only lasted for about ten minutes. Before long, Haruka stepped out wearing black jeans and a mostly-buttoned flannel shirt. Her hair was still damp, but she didn't feel like drying it. "Ready?"  
  
Not that Haruka had to do much to her hair to get it to stay put. Unlike Seiya's unruly mane. "Uhn." He stood too, straightening his clothes. "Iku." He slipped out of the room, rather hoping no one would catch them together.  
  
They made it out of the house without being spotted, and Haruka fished her keys out of her pocket, heading towards her little yellow convertible.  
  
"Nice car," he complemented, running awed fingers down the outside of the convertible. He'd never had a chance to a buy a car while he was on earth, but he'd always wanted to...  
  
"I thought you'd seen it at least once while you were here before." She didn't bother with the door, vaulting into the seat with the ease of much practice.  
  
"Not really," he said with a wry shrug. "You never trusted me within a stone's throw of it, remember?" He grinned at her, bright eyes flashing with a teasing light.  
  
"Oh right. You were the leather-clad wannabe Senshi. I forgot." She started the engine. "Get the hell in or I'll leave you behind."  
  
"Oya! Wannabe!? I've been doing this job a lot longer then you, that's for sure," he growled, getting into the car and buckling up. With everything he'd heard about Haruka's driving...  
  
"I wouldn't bet on that." Haruka pulled out of the driveway and sped off for the city.  
  
"Oh really? How long have *you* been protecting your system?" Seiya challenged easily, laughing a little, giddily, as the wind whipped his long hair out behind them like a banner.  
  
"It's not polite to ask a dyke how long she's been protecting her universe. Don't you have manners?" Haruka shouted over the wind.  
  
Seiya tipped his head back and let loose a cascade of laughter, a release from the tension he'd lived with for so long.  
  
**  
  
Haruka pulled up to the Hikawa Jinja and turned off the car, taking a deep breath. "It's finals week. They've been meeting here to study," she explained to Seiya.  
  
"Sou. I'm glad I don't have to deal with that anymore." He grinned, unbuckling his seatbelt.  
  
"No, but you will have to manage the rush. They talk about you a lot." Haruka got out and began climbing the stairs. On a good day, she would have sprinted up, two at a time. Track team had a tendency to do that to a person, but she just didn't have the extra energy to expend.  
  
Seiya paused, watching her, as though not sure whether he should give her a hand. He finally decided on "not", for the simple reason that she'd probably take offense. "So do you know where they meet?"  
  
"Out back, on the porch."  
  
"Y-eah..." Seiya had to take a step back as a girl barreled into him. "Here we go." He closed his eyes, long-suffering as the fangirlish squeals reached his ears.  
  
Haruka stepped back as Seiya was mobbed, finding grim amusement in his helplessness. Fortunately, he didn't have to suffer long.   
  
"What is going on out here?!" A light voice demanded. "This is a place to find peace, not scream like banshees! If you're not here to pray, then get out!"  
  
Seiya nearly knelt and kissed Rei's feet for a timely save, but saved his dignity instead and bowed. "Konnichiwa, Rei-chan."  
  
Once she had driven away the last fangirl, she spared him a brilliant smile. "Okaeri, Seiya-san."  
  
His smiled faded though, as soon as the last fangirl had left earshot and they were alone. "Rei-chan, are you all here?"  
  
She blinked at him, her expression serious again. "There's trouble, isn't there?"  
  
"Unfortunately. I wish I could have come back to visit on better terms, but..." he sighed. "I'd rather only explain myself once, if you don't mind?"  
  
She nodded. "We're all here." It was then that she noticed Haruka and glanced between them as if to ask if they had really willingly arrived together. She didn't put the inquiry to words, however, and turned to take them through the temple to the back. The other girls were gathered in a circle with books and study sheets everywhere.  
  
Ami glanced up, eyes going wide. "Seiya-kun! What are you doing back here?"  
  
"Eheh, that's a bit of a story. I hope I'm not interrupting too badly?" Seiya looked sheepish at interrupting their study time.  
  
"Well, we're--" Ami found herself forcibly silenced by Makoto's hand over her mouth.   
  
"No, no, not at all," Jupiter laughed nervously. Rei sat down next to Mako and folded her hands in her lap.   
  
Usagi's bright blue eyes blinked at Seiya sadly. "Mou...we have problems, don't we?"  
  
The fighter senshi released her hold on Ami, and reached out to take Rei's hand, squeezing it gently, subtly. Genki genki.  
  
Seiya groaned softly and flopped himself down next to the pretty blonde girl. "I'm sorry about this odango. I hate coming back just tell you about this. Princess says that she's sensed a darkness growing in the galaxy, one that is nearly as all-consuming as Galaxia was. And it's heading towards Earth at a rapid pace. This time it's not going to end with Earth, it's going to start with Earth." Seiya cast his eyes down, unable to look at any of the senshi. "I came back here as fast as I could to warn you, but most of the systems can't spare anyone to help yet. We're all too busy rebuilding our own worlds..."  
  
"Then we'll stop this before it starts," Minako spoke up, always the team's motivation when it wasn't Usagi herself.  
  
Seiya raised his eyes, and immediately focused on Usagi. "Odango," he took her hands and stared soulfully into her eyes, "I volunteered to come back and help, and I swear I'll do anything to keep you safe."  
  
Usagi flashed him one of her pretty smiles. "I know, Seiya-kun. We're going to be just fine."  
  
He released her hands, with a grin, and sat back. "I really wish I had come with better news. I guess we're all doing the best we can..."  
  
"Just remember who she belongs to," Haruka warned. Until then, she'd been a silent onlooker, leaning one of the supports to the temple porch.  
  
Seiya looked up at the dyke with a chagrined look. "Actually," he said thoughtfully, "the darkness may have moved faster then we expected it would. Tenoh-san ran into an... interesting lady yesterday evening, just after I arrived on Earth."  
  
Haruka snorted. "Interesting is not the word I would have used."  
  
"What word *would* you have used?" Seiya challenged, running a hand through his hair. She was beginning to get on his nerves *little*...  
  
"One that isn't suitable for those in attendance. Look, can we just get to the point? How soon is this 'darkness' going to be here?"  
  
"Soon, if it hasn't arrived already. It *did* get a head-start on me," Seiya snapped, shoving ebony hair out of his eyes. "Just," he spun away from the dyke, and turned his attention back on the Inner Senshi, "keep your eyes open for anything unusual, na?"  
  
The girls nodded. "You bet!" Usagi said enthusiastically. "This thing isn't gonna get far with US around!"  
  
"Uhn!" Venus nodded in agreement. Seiya chuckled, amused as always by their energy.  
  
Haruka pushed away from the support. "I'm going home," she told them, then turned to walk away.  
  
"Careful driving," Seiya caroled after her, feeling another little bit of tension melt away. Haruka seemed to stimulate this little knot of tense emotion in the pit of his stomach.  
  
"Haruka-san, talk to Setsuna-san and Hotaru-san, please," Ami call after the Outer Senshi.  
  
"Can I ask a question?" Seiya murmured, seeing an opening. "Tenoh-san has been acting a little oddly. And Michiru-san wasn't home last night. Is there something going on between them?"  
  
The girls all looked at each other, unsure of how to answer. Rei finally sighed. "Michiru-san never returned."  
  
"What... do you mean?" Seiya was confused. Never returned from what?   
  
"The last battle with Galaxia...when we all returned to Earth..." Minako explained softly.  
  
"Michiru-san... wasn't there," Usagi finished.  
  
"Date... All of the stolen Star seeds were returned, weren't they?" Seiya's brows furrowed. Well, that would definitely explain the dreams, and the tears... and the lack of sleep Haruka's maid had mentioned.  
  
"That's what we thought," Rei said with a gentle shrug. "But everyone was here except her. We've tried everything to find her...from my fires to Ami-chan's computers...but we've come up with nothing."  
  
"Oh..." Seiya wondered for a moment what he would have done if his Princess hadn't reappeared. But he shied away from that. It would hurt too much. There would be nothing to live for. In thinking of that, it reminded him how empty Haruka's eyes had been. Nothing to live for...except the fight...   
  
His hands fisting in the cloth of his slacks. "Thank you, ojouchantachi," he said with a slightly forced smile. "I should go arrange for lodgings. I only just arrived back here." And he needed some time to think.  
  
Usagi seemed to notice his tension. "I know...it's going to sound crazy, Seiya-kun," she said quietly, "...but maybe you should ask Haruka-san if you can stay with her... I'm sure that big manor is awfully lonely."  
  
The Starlight blinked. "She... doesn't like me much." Understatement of the year, at that. He was sure she would gut him if he even suggested it. That is, if she could get up the energy to summon the Space Sword. And then there was *that* consideration. If the maid was correct, Haruka wasn't paying any attention to her own physical needs...   
Not that it was any of Seiya's business if she was slowly killing herself.  
  
"Try..." Usagi said, laying a hand on his arm. "There's nothing we can do for her..." She smiled a little. "Besides, maybe you can put some fight back into her."  
  
Seiya grinned a little, tossing his head. "Well, if anyone can do it..." Conceited little bastard. "I suppose I should go bother her, in that case. Thank you, ojouchantachi. I'll be back to see you soon, I hope."  
  
They waved goodbye to him, and were quickly dragged back into the textbooks by Ami.  
  
Luckily Rei had managed to scare away all the fangirls the first time around, and he was left alone on the walk to the stairs. When he got to them, he found Haruka sitting about halfway down, elbows resting on her knees, staring out at the passing traffic.  
  
Well that certainly solved the 'how to get back to Haruka's house' question. He sat beside her, silent, so as not to disturb her musings.  
  
After several long quiet moments, she said, "You want crash space, don't you?" She sounded so tired.  
  
"I would appreciate it." Non-committal. He tilted his head to look at her from beneath the fringe of dark hair. "That huge house must get lonely."  
  
"I knew you'd ask them instead of me," she said, getting up. She took the rest of the way down slowly.  
  
Seiya stuck his hands in his pockets and followed her down, taking the steps at the same pace, so he was always a step or two behind. "Did I do something wrong, Tenoh-san?"  
  
"No," she answered shortly.  
  
"Would you rather I have asked you?"  
  
She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Does it matter now?"  
  
"Would I have offended you any less if I had asked you? I didn't want you mad at me. As I recall you have a really good punch." He rubbed his stomach ruefully in memory.  
  
That brought a smirk to her lips. "I'm glad you remember that."  
  
"I keep it in mind at all times," Seiya retorted, hair flicking out behind him like a cat's tail. "It's hard to forget. Good thing my fangirls don't know about that. Now that would be an interesting defense," he murmured thoughtfully. "Telling my fangirls if someone had hurt me. They'd start a lynch mob."  
  
"An easy way to get rid of me," Haruka said, unlocking the car. "I might be able to save the world from evil monsters, but not even I can handle the sheer numbers of hormonally driven members of the Seiya Kou Fan club."  
  
"Damn straight," Seiya laughed, opening the door as soon as Haruka'd unlocked it. "With them by my side I would be invincible!" He did his best imitation of megalomaniacal laughter.  
  
Haruka actually flashed him a brief real smile before shaking her head and getting in.  
  
Seiya blinked, and a grin spread across *his* face. "It smiles! You aren't made of marble, after all!" He got in the car as well, leaning his head back. Comfortable car...  
  
"Watch it, pretty boy, or you'll sleep in the garage," she bit back.  
  
"But it's cold in there, and me only in my shorts!" That senshi outfit's got to be drafty... Speaking of which, he needed to go shopping for clothes. It's hard to bring anything with you on a trip like he had just been on.  
  
"Then you'd better behave."  
  
"Yes sir, ma'am, sir!" Seiya snapped to attention, tossing off a crisp salute. Silly boy. He's trying to make her smile.  
  
"Baka," she murmured, but the smile had barely faded. They got a little more serious, though, as they drove on in silence, the only sound her radio and whipping of wind through their hair.  
  
**  
When they got back to the manor, the servants already had dinner waiting for them.  
  
"They're thorough," Seiya commented, surprised. He was used to being the center of attention, of course, but the quality of the attention was so much different. Servants had never bowed to him this distinctly Western way before.  
  
"Yes, they are. But then... so was she," Haruka commented, putting her keys on the mantle and sitting down in her chair.  
  
Seiya dropped his head, trying to ignore the pink dashed across his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Tenoh-san. I don't mean to open old wounds."  
  
"They never closed. Don't worry about it. If I was going to think about it that way, I would never have come back here to live."  
  
Seiya nodded again, silently, and absorbed himself in the cordon bleu the maids brought out. It was something neutral to distract him. However slight Seiya's receptive empathic talents might have been he couldn't help but feel the raging emptiness inside Tenoh Haruka. It hurt like a raw wound that was continually picked at. Like she never stopped thinking about it. To be honest it scared Seiya a little bit, the intensity of that emotion. It was no wonder Usagi was hoping someone could help Haruka.  
  
But she did do a good job at hiding it from most. As he noted, the feelings were intense, but intensity was always reflected in her sapphire eyes. It would take someone who knew a little more to tell the difference between the actual emotions. She was angry, but determined to get through this if it killed her....and there was no doubt it was killing her.  
  
He glanced up surreptitiously beneath onyx bangs to study her. She was a bit stockier then most of the women he knew, save, perhaps Taiki. It was no wonder so many people mistook Haruka for a man. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were unusual for Japanese, though, he noted, she seemed well at ease with the Western atmosphere of Michiru's manor. Physically there was nothing to set off alarms. Well, he hadn't noticed himself until he'd had the leisure to really *look* at her. If it hadn't been for those scant hours this afternoon, he might not have realized anything was wrong at all. The intensity in her eyes was the same as those three months ago when she and Neptune had confronted the 'Lights. Defensive. Determined. But beneath that... was a resignation. Seiya suppressed a shiver.  
  
Haruka ate her meal in silence, the movements almost mechanical. Her common sense was telling her what to do to survive. But she wondered if she had the willpower. She wished she had a race, something to take her mind off this hell-- another fight... More struggling, more pain... And she was alone this time. Sure, she had the other Senshi, but none of them were as close as Michiru had been. And then there was StarFighter... rival...? What was she going to do now that he was staying with her?  
  
Seiya hid his sigh in a languid sip of his wine, finally raising his gaze so he was openly looking at her. He had expected her to fight him, to even outright tell him he couldn't stay there. Three months ago it was certainly something she would have done. But now? 'Put the fight back in her' was what Usagi had told him. The description was certainly apt.  
  
"If you want an ocean view," she spoke up suddenly. "The room two doors down from mine has another balcony." She wasn't looking at him. Following her gaze, she wasn't really looking at anything, her eyes distant. :: Michiru had loved the view of the ocean...::  
  
He bit back a sigh and pushed his food away, suddenly not hungry anymore. The weird urge to *make* her mad at him rose from somewhere deep inside of him. He needed to see those eyes flash with anger, with an emotion that had nothing to do with her missing lover. "Thank you, Tenoh-san."  
  
Haruka noticed the sound of the plate being pushed away, and she finally brought her eyes to Seiya, raising an eyebrow at the unfinished food. "Don't you like it?"  
  
"Would you get mad at me if I said I didn't like it?" Seiya asked, an impish expression crossing his face. He rested his head in his hands, leaning forward to watch her.   
  
She blinked, obviously not expecting that, then narrowed her gaze suspiciously. "Are you looking to get your ass kicked, Seiya Kou?"  
  
He grinned openly at her, eyes flashing with a challenge. "Do you think you could still kick it, Tenoh Haruka-san?" He picked up the wine glass, swirling the liquid absent-mindedly before taking a sip. Those sapphire eyes pinned her, dark as the night sky just before dawn.  
  
It occurred to Haruka that she should wonder what exactly the ebony-haired man was up to, but that familiar look of challenge that had always been there before tugged at something in her. She watched the wine slosh for a moment before catching his gaze again. "I thought I was being civil when I invited you here, Seiya, but I suppose you'll never change. How badly would you like to find out?"  
  
Laughter answered her question, night-dark eyes closing with good-natured amusement. When those eyes opened, the challenge was muted, as though she'd passed some test she hadn't even realized had been administered. "The food's fine, Tenoh-san," he chuckled.  
  
"Knock off the 'Tenoh-san', Seiya. It's just Haruka," she told him, her features relaxing, but not much. There was still a bit of fire in her eyes. She suddenly realized that she had been /wanting/ to fight Seiya. In fact, their rivalry had left her craving for a one-on-one fight since the day she met him, but there were always those that would interfere. Such as Usagi and the other two StarLights...  
  
"Haruka," he said quietly, as though tasting the word. And he smirked. "A beautiful name for a beautiful man," he teased. He wanted to fight a little too, though not as fiercely as Haruka. What he *wanted* was for the senshi to come out of her self-imposed isolation. The hostility was just there for him to build on.  
  
Haruka matched the smirk, making it obvious that the insult didn't quite go the way he thought it would. "Why thank you, Seiya. You really don't know how to insult a dyke, do you?"  
  
"Is that what you are? And here I thought you were just flat-chested," Seiya laughed, leaning his chin in one hand and gesturing with the wineglass with the other.  
  
"Ass," Haruka muttered, getting up from her chair. She gave him a challenging glare before grabbing her wine glass and stalking out of the dining room.  
  
She missed the disappointed expression crossing his face then, his hand tightening on the stem of his wine glass. For a moment he had felt the waves of emptiness recede, the omnipresent pain lifting... He muttered something to himself about a tough nut, and shook his head, dark hair flying all over the place. One of the servants scurried over to clean up Haruka's place, flashing Seiya a shy smile. He didn't return it, staring thoughtfully at the doorway Haruka had disappeared through.  
  
Not long after her departure, the sound of a piano came from somewhere down the hallway through which she had gone. It was beautiful, deep and soul-tugging. And a voice... "Don't ask of me... To tell you where I'm from..." Deep, lilting... Haruka's. "Don't bury me... In this wound..."  
  
In the other room, the former idol singer bit his lip, tears coming involuntarily to his eyes. He had never thought his receptive empathic abilities were all that keen, but Haruka was projecting so hard it was hard him not to feel her emotions. He stood, stalking into the other room. He stood behind her for a long moment, just watching her long, graceful fingers run over the keys, and letting her dusky voice wash over him.  
  
"Don't bury me... in the lost yesterdays... Don't stop me any further..." Unlike in her sleep, the tears did not come now, but her voice held enough of them that she didn't need the liquid salt in her eyes, staining her face. It was enough...more than enough... And Seiya couldn't stand it anymore. His hand slammed out and down onto the piano keys, narrowly missing Haruka's fingers. The off-key crash broke through the despairing music. Seiya purposely wasn't looking at his hostess. Leaning his other hand on the side of the piano, pink splashed across his cheeks.   
  
Haruka gasped in startlement as the hand came down, and she almost fell back. Her eyes widened, then narrowed. "What the fuck are you doing?!"  
  
He looked up at her from under his bangs, only managing a weak smile. The boy was gasping for air, as though stopping her had taken all of his will and energy. "Not that song..."  
  
Haruka faltered, her hands falling into her lap. "Why not?"  
  
He couldn't think of an answer for that. What could he say? 'I can feel you hurting'? 'It's only making you feel emptier'? Seiya just shook his head, and nudged her over on the bench with his hip, sitting down beside her. "Just not that one," he settled for. His own fingers drifted over the keys—he wasn't as good as Taiki, but he *did* know how to play.  
  
"Search for your love..." she began softly, her voice in tune before Seiya struck the keys.  
  
"Kimi ha itsumo kagayai te ta, egao hitotsu chiisana hoshi, taisetsu ni shite ta yo..." He began, closing his eyes and visualizing the music in his mind. It had been a while since he'd bothered with a keyboard, so his fingers stumbled, even while his mouth made up for the missed notes.  
  
"Eien no starlight..." Haruka murmured, her own eyes closing as she forgot time and place...wanting to sing something. And since Seiya had seemed to dislike her first choice, this was better than nothing.  
  
"Ano hiboku ha mamore nakute, kuyashi namida kora e ta dake, ita mi ga noku ru yo," Seiya sang, finding the shining emotion inside himself he hadn't tapped since the Three Light's last concert, and projected it out , focusing a warmth and caring on Haruka. Usagi's smiles, the smell of his princess, laughter, and sunshine, and freedom from care… they were all focused with all of the power Seiya possessed on Haruka.  
  
"Wasurenai sweetheart. Search for your love..." Haruka tilted her head back, filled with the sensations of warmth and contentment. They were echoes of things past...or things that were not hers, but they were welcomed into her weary heart. Tired of hurting, tired of being alone... She didn't feel so alone anymore. Seiya had wrapped himself in the music, and reached out to wrap Haruka in it too, in that odd sort of wistful sweetness that said "you're *not* alone."  
  
When the song had finished, Haruka sat still, her eyes remaining closed as she tried to hang on to that peaceful feeling that had wormed its way in. She could feel it receding with the end of the music, but she tried so hard to hold on.  
  
Seiya's hands dropped away from the piano, laying carefully on Haruka's thigh, as though trying to reassure. He looked away, though, not at her, still pink with a blush that had no place on his face, usually so open with gregarious, overdramatic expressions.  
  
Haruka's hand covered Seiya's on her leg. She didn't yell, she didn't move away. She was... there...  
  
"Thank you..." she said softly.  
  
He made a quiet, noncommittal sound, blushing furiously. Seiya still wouldn't look up. It wasn't that he was embarrassed. He'd played music like this before, but it was so much more intimate to play for Haruka then before any of the Three Lights' audiences. She was so much more present, and the music absorbed her. She *was* the music for those long minutes.  
  
"I miss her..." she said, turning her head to the window. Now that it was quiet, they could hear the ocean tumbling below the manor.  
  
Seiya closed his eyes and bowed his head, the hand on Haruka's thigh tightening momentarily. "I know," he said, "she was wonderful. If a little scary at times..." He finally raised his head, favoring Haruka with a wry grin.  
  
It had brought a tiny smile to the blonde's face. "Formidable," she supplied, the word coming easily to her. Formidable in battle, formidable in will... and so beautiful...  
  
"Aa," Seiya agreed quietly. But he shook his head then. "Stop thinking," he commanded the Outer Senshi. "This is why you got caught last night!" He didn't want to get trapped in his *own* thoughts, so the best way would be to get *both* of their minds off the topic.  
  
"So I should go around mindless like you, eh, Seiya?" she asked, a dark tease in her voice. She turned to look at him again, her eyes dark, but not as empty as they had been earlier.  
  
"Yes! No... Wait a second!" He growled, realizing what she'd said. "HEY!"  
  
Haruka chuckled and reached for her wine, which stood on the top of the piano, with her free hand. She sipped at it thoughtfully. "I can't stop thinking, Seiya..."  
  
"You're going to get killed out there," He told her, sudden the voice of experience. "It's always war where people like us are concerned. If you make another stupid mistake and I'm not around to kill that damned thing, you're going to *die*." He sighed softly, fingers coming up to brush the smooth surface of the ivory keys again, expression dark, as though remembering.  
  
"Does it really matter?"  
  
*That* was the wrong thing to say. Seiya'd been on edge all day, and Haruka's words were the spark that set him off. He burst to his feet, hauling the woman up with him, and jerking her close. "How can you SAY that? You're fucking KILLING yourself! Michiru would be appalled! You have a duty to your princess and slacking off, even if you *are* hurting, is disrespect to Michiru's memory *and* to Usagi! This is plain cowardice! I guess you aren't the Haruka I remember. The Haruka *I* remember would never have backed down, no matter what." He ran out of words then, just staring into the blonde's eyes, chest heaving.  
  
"You're right..." Haruka said sadly, her eyes never breaking gaze with his. "I'm not the Haruka you remember. You don't know what it feels like... YOUR princess is still alive... giving you hope and strength. Mine isn't. It fucking HURTS. Usagi-chan doesn't need me like this. She's grown so strong, you saw it today. I am nothing in her shadow, and I won't pretend." Haruka pulled her hand away and turned to the window again. "Sorry if I disappointed you, Seiya. I don't know what you came here expecting to get out of me, but I don't think you're going to get it."  
  
"Haruka-san, I spent four years praying that my Princess would be able to hear me. I didn't know where she was, if she had been killed, or captured, or if she even cared anymore, but I never lost hope. I never stopped doing my duty. Just because she's gone doesn't mean you should stop being strong. There are other people who need you. I'm not going to stop expecting you to be strong for *them*. And besides, I can't give up on you. Odango asked me to help, and I never could turn her down." He spun her around again, staring her in the eyes.  
  
"I guess we have something in common then..." she said, unable to keep the pain from her voice and sapphire blue eyes.   
  
He sighed, leaning close, as though to say something. But his brain shut down, and the Starlight pressed his lips to Haruka's, a kiss that was intense, desperate.  
  
Haruka started, the kiss being the last touch she'd ever thought they'd ever share. But nonetheless, it was warm... intense... She returned the kiss, not opening her mouth, but pressing firmly against Seiya's, letting her eyes flutter closed. She needed... she needed to be held, and told it was going to be all right... that this ache would go away....  
  
Seiya sighed. No thinking... His hands dropped from Haruka's shoulders and wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.  
  
She practically fell against him...the warmth of him...the feel of his arms around her. She grasped his arms, pushing against him to try and get to more of that warmth and comfort. No thinking...  
  
Seiya nibbled at Haruka's lips, deepening the kiss, hands pressing flat against her back, rubbing in little circles. I'm here... You're not alone... His kisses were intense and somehow comforting, like a fire on a winter night. Haruka almost cried at the comfort, parting her lips slightly to let him in, leaning against him far more than she'd care to admit. He didn't seem to mind, slipping his tongue between her parted lips, letting her set the pace as he explored with that passion he showed in everything he did. The idol singer just pulled her towards him, soothing.  
  
She broke the kiss before it could get too deep, to all-consuming. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage. She pulled her mouth away from his, but didn't move the rest of herself. She looked away. "Seiya..."  
  
"Gomen na," he murmured, releasing her. "I didn't mean to... to..." What? Take advantage of her? Seiya slowly turned a nice shade of poppy red, staring down at the ground. What if someone had come in...?  
  
Haruka swallowed hard. What was she doing? She wanted to slap Seiya for even daring to take advantage of her situation. The rise of anger flared in her eyes, then faded, leaving a slightly less empty look now. "Why...? You hate me..."  
  
"Hate you?" Seiya looked confused. "I've never hated you. You've tried to beat me up, but you've never really given me any reason to hate you." He flopped back down onto the piano bench, throwing a hand over his face. "You can beat me up for doing that, if you want."  
  
But she didn't want to. Not beat him up for the first bit of warmth she'd felt in three months. She felt dazed and somehow wamrer then she'd felt since Michiru had disappeared. "You...startled me is all..."  
  
Seiya opened one eye, squinting at her. "You *don't* want to beat me up? That's a first. I'm shocked, absolutely SHOCKED." He gave her a dry grin, tilting his head back with a sigh.  
  
Haruka studied that grin...then the eyes...then the face. The warm fuzz that had been surrounding her brain seemed to dissapate abruptly. She had just kissed Seiya Kou...? Only three months after losing Michiru, and she was kissing someone else. She was kissing... a man. No... *He* kissed her! Knowing her feelings, he had deliberately caught her off guard! And she let him! To her it was worse than her self-imposed depression. She stood up slowly. "You know, you should be. Because instead of beating you up, I want to kill you." Her hand moved like lightning, catching him across the face so hard it sent him sprawling right over the back of the piano bench. With that, she hurried out of the room.  
  
Sparks of pain splashed across Seiya's vision for a moment and he barely managed to keep his head from smacking into the marble floor. "Ite yo," the idol singer gasped, dropping his head back gently. "I am a complete idiot," he told no one in particular, staring up at the exquisitely decorated ceiling.   
  
***  
  
Next Time on Sailor Stars Neo!  
  
The new threat arrives, sending the first of it's generals to wreak havoc on Tokyo. But the patterns keep leading back to... Haruka-san!?  
  
Haruka: "I just want to be left alone!!!"  
  
Seiya is determined to keep his promise to Usagi-chan... but how much is he willing to sacrifice?  
  
Next time on Sera Sutaasu Neo!: The First Attack! Breaking Down Her Walls  
***  
  
Owari Episode One (Episode 201 of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon) 


End file.
